After glimpsing the creature beneath them, Gu Sanqiu did not hesitate to fly away at top speed.
That thing must have been some sort of bandit, warlord, or at least a military leader in its former life, otherwise, it wouldn't have such an impressive set of armor. As for the shadowy arrow that had ambushed the giant eagle, it was logical to assume that this entity's resurrection had awakened some of its loyal bodyguards among the undead.
Or rather, Gu Sanqiu forced himself to accept this rationalization—it required more courage to flee than to stay and fight.
Once they reached a safe location, Gu Sanqiu gently set down Hutao and then picked up the giant eagle to examine its injuries.
"Hmm, the shadowy fire should have dissipated by now, but in a place like this, the wound might easily become aggravated."
He crushed another precious pill to stabilize the injury before pulling out bandages for a more detailed dressing.
"Sanqiu, I'm in so much pain... it's unbearable..."
(Tears streaming down her face)
Hutao leaned over, pressing half her face against Gu Sanqiu's shoulder, her eyes blinking in a way that said, "If you don't pay attention to me, I'll cry."
Gu Sanqiu placed his index finger on Hutao's forehead. "Stop pretending, you aren't hurt. I've checked."
"(ˉ▽￣～) Che~~, what a boring man."
A vein popped on Gu Sanqiu's forehead. "Alright, Miss Interesting, can you tell me what on earth you were up to?"
"Be thankful I brought the Wind Wings this time. If not for the single-use Wind Capture Bottle, we'd never outrun that horse."
"I didn't expect things to get this serious."
Hutao's expression turned serious. "We initially thought this was just a simple case of wandering corpses, but it turned out to be something of this magnitude."
"A corpse plague?"
"Yes, Wuwang Hill is known as a 'borderland.' This isn't a secret among the powerful and the knowledgeable. Some people attempt various ways to find the so-called entrance to steal secrets and wealth from another world."
"The mindless wandering of corpses is something some people hope will lead them to the entrance. Before Liyue was stabilized, some even resorted to slaughtering civilians, using freshly departed souls to guide them."
"Tsk, feudal societies, I swear."
Gu Sanqiu clasped his hands together and bowed. Grandpa Zhongli, you're amazing!
"So, you think this isn't a natural corpse plague but rather a product of this place's peculiar nature?"
Gu Sanqiu wanted to grasp the details, making it easier to handle the situation. After all, dealing with someone bitten by a spider is different from dealing with someone injected with a serum.
"Although a natural occurrence isn't ruled out, it's highly likely to be man-made."
As expected.
Gu Sanqiu understood. If the wealth of Liyue Harbor tempted ordinary people, the value of Wuwang Hill was something certain schemers found appealing.
"I took a look earlier. Dealing with something of that caliber would require some effort even from the Qianyan Army."
Gu Sanqiu started checking his supplies. "I know the rules of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Can you call for reinforcements?"
"All our consultants are occupied; otherwise, this mission would be much easier."
Hutao looked troubled. "Besides, this is close to Qingce Village. There aren't any skilled helpers nearby. We can't possibly head to Mondstadt's Adventurers' Guild through Stone Gate to post a bounty."
Gu Sanqiu sighed. "So, finding help in the short term is off the table?"
"Hehe, we still have you."
"Stop. Just stop. When I came, I didn't expect something of this scale. This situation should be reported to the Qixing for them to handle."
Gu Sanqiu scratched his head. "Well, there's another way to boost our strength, but it requires some time. You'll have to guard me."
With that, Gu Sanqiu took out a dark golden gem. At its center, a mysterious gray-yellow pattern flickered with a faint glow.
"Oh, oh, isn't that... that..."
"Yes, it's my family's Inherited Eye, similar to your Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's Staff of Homa."
Gu Sanqiu pulled out a food container and tossed it to Hutao. "Guard me while I try once more to channel the power of the Vision."
"Alright, Sanqiu, go for it!"
ヾ(°°
"That's for you to eat. It helps with recovery."
Gu Sanqiu sat cross-legged. When the previous Gu Sanqiu was alive, he couldn't wield the Vision's power. Now that he had merged their souls, this problem should be resolved.
"Ancestors, bear witness. Immortals and gods, bear witness."
The gray-yellow pattern on the Inherited Eye began to glow, gradually spreading across the gem, transforming it into what looked like an ordinary piece of earth.
"What exactly is the definition of elements?"
To Gu Sanqiu, the seven elements forming Teyvat's foundation was an unchanging truth, just like how "Barbatos shirks his duties" was a common saying. People and objects adhered to this immutable principle.
However, to the "other Gu Sanqiu," the concept of seven elements forming the world was somewhat plausible. The idea of four elements, five phases, or even the yin-yang concept was not far-fetched.
As for each person being able to wield only one element? If he dared to experiment, Gu Sanqiu could easily challenge this notion and spark a period of intellectual debate in Liyue akin to the Hundred Schools of Thought.
If he wasn't careful, even being an official employee of Liyue and the sole successor of the incense-burning lineage might not save him.
Two independent yet coexisting souls were a significant reason Gu Sanqiu couldn't channel the Vision. The other reason was that he didn't want to limit his future growth to a single element.
But now it seemed that countless experiments had proved one thing: unless he could pull out a treasure on the level of a lotus root from that black hole and befriend Nezha, using supernatural powers in Teyvat required accepting the Vision.
"Accepting the Vision and elemental power to truly integrate into this world..."
Gu Sanqiu was still hesitant but then glanced at the resting giant eagle and Hutao standing guard, her food container untouched. He suddenly made up his mind.
"At least, I want those who care about me to live comfortably."
The gray-yellow light in the gem began to shift, gradually forming the symbol representing the Geo element.
The Vision, or rather the Gu family's Inherited Eye, acknowledged Gu Sanqiu!
Gu Sanqiu couldn't see it, and Hutao, guarding him, didn't notice it either. Beneath the Geo element symbol, a pure black dragon head appeared for a fleeting moment before vanishing into the dark golden gem.